Delicious Peanut Cookies

These peanut cookies are the chunkier, more textured cousin of the classic peanut butter cookie. Instead of relying on peanut butter, the recipe folds two cups of chopped roasted peanuts into a brown-sugar dough, so every bite has actual peanut crunch alongside the soft cookie crumb.

Brown sugar (not white) is doing the heavy work on flavor. Its molasses content deepens the peanut flavor into something almost caramel-like, and it keeps the cookies chewier in the middle than a granulated-sugar version would.

Shortening rather than butter gives these cookies a crisp, almost shortbread-like edge without spreading too thin in the oven. They hold their domed shape and stay tender for days in an airtight tin.

Pulling the cookies from the oven when they’re “almost set” (the recipe’s clever phrasing) is the move that separates good from great. They continue cooking on the hot pan after coming out, finishing into the chewy texture you want.

Pro Tips

• Use roasted unsalted peanuts and add a separate pinch of salt. This gives more control over the final saltiness.
• Chop the peanuts coarsely. Finely chopped peanuts disappear into the dough; rough chops give visible chunks and better crunch.
• Don’t overcrowd the pans. Two inches apart is correct; closer and the cookies merge.
• Let cookies rest on the pan 2 minutes before moving to the cooling rack. They’re fragile straight out of the oven.

Variations

• Use Spanish peanuts (with the red skin) for a slightly nuttier flavor and visual interest.
• Add a half cup of chocolate chips for a peanut-chocolate combo.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before baking for a sweet-salty bakery touch.